U.S. patent application number 12/244151 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-08 for folding knife locking mechanism with carrier device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Spyderco, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eric G. Glesser.
Application Number | 20100083507 12/244151 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42074619 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100083507 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Glesser; Eric G. |
April 8, 2010 |
Folding Knife Locking Mechanism With Carrier Device
Abstract
A folding knife locking mechanism is provided which maintains
the open and closed positions associated with the folding knife. A
carrier assembly for the locking mechanism for changing the folding
knife from the closed to the open position is also disclosed. In
one embodiment, the folding knife comprises a carrier assembly for
positioning a spherical locking mechanism against the tang of the
knife, without the need for scales or other retaining elements
typical in prior art knives.
Inventors: |
Glesser; Eric G.; (Golden,
CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHERIDAN ROSS PC
1560 BROADWAY, SUITE 1200
DENVER
CO
80202
US
|
Assignee: |
Spyderco, Inc.
Golden
CO
|
Family ID: |
42074619 |
Appl. No.: |
12/244151 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
30/161 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B26B 1/048 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
30/161 |
International
Class: |
B26B 1/04 20060101
B26B001/04 |
Claims
1. A knife comprising: a blade having a front end, a tang, an upper
edge, and a cutting edge, said tang of said blade pivotally
interconnected to a forward end of a handle; a locking mechanism
retained by a carrier assembly positioned proximate to said forward
end of said handle for selectively locking said blade in an open
position or a closed position, said carrier assembly moveable from
a first locked position to a second released position; a biasing
member coupled to said carrier assembly which biases said carrier
assembly towards said first forward locked position; wherein said
locking mechanism engages a first surface of said tang and a
portion of said handle when said carrier assembly is in said first
locked position and said blade is in said closed position, and said
locking mechanism disengages said first surface of said tang and
said portion of said handle when said carrier assembly is in said
second released position, and said locking mechanism engages a
second surface of said tang and said portion of said handle when
said carrier assembly is in said first forward locked position and
said blade is in said open position; and wherein a portion of said
carrier assembly envelops a portion of said tang when said blade
travels between said open position and said closed position to
assure said carrier assembly travels in a direction substantially
parallel to the longitudinal plane of said blade.
2. The knife as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism
is selected from the group consisting of a sphere, a ball, a block,
a cylinder, a cube, a pin, and a peg.
3. The knife as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism
and said carrier assembly are integrated into a single piece
movable from a first locked position to a second released
position.
4. The knife as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tang of said blade
is comprised of a concave surface about the outer circumference of
said tang to receive said locking mechanism, and wherein said
locking mechanism is substantially in the shape of a sphere.
5. The knife as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism
is biased by said biasing member towards said first locked position
to prevent rotation of said blade when said blade of said knife is
in either said closed position or said open position.
6. The knife as claimed in claim 5 wherein said carrier assembly is
further comprised of: two wing elements about a first end of said
carrier assembly for retaining said locking mechanism and for
enveloping said portion of said tang; and a stem element about a
second end opposite of said first end of said carrier assembly, for
coupling with said at least one biasing member for biasing said
carrier assembly towards said first locked position when said blade
is in either said closed position or said open position.
7. A knife comprising: a blade having a front end, a tang, an upper
edge, and a cutting edge, said tang of said blade pivotally
interconnected to a forward end of a handle, said handle further
comprising a first scale and a second scale interconnected to each
other; a locking mechanism coupled to a carrier assembly and
positioned against said first anvil for selectively locking said
blade in an open position or a closed position, said carrier
assembly moveable from a first locked position to a second released
position; a biasing member coupled to said carrier assembly which
biases said carrier assembly towards said first forward locked
position; an anvil positioned between said two scales and proximate
to said carrier assembly; a back spacer positioned between said two
scales, opposite said anvil and proximate to said carrier assembly;
wherein said locking mechanism engages said tang and said anvil
when said carrier assembly is in said first locked position and
said blade is in said closed position, and said locking mechanism
disengages said tang and said anvil when said carrier assembly is
in said second retracted released position, and said locking
mechanism engages said tang and said back spacer when said carrier
assembly is in said first locked position and said blade is in said
open position; and wherein a portion of said carrier assembly
envelops a portion of said tang when said blade travels between
said open position and said closed position to assure said carrier
assembly travels in a direction substantially parallel to the
longitudinal plane of said blade.
8. The knife as claimed in claim 7 wherein said locking mechanism
is selected from the group consisting of a sphere, a ball, a block,
a cylinder, a cube, a pin, and a peg.
9. The knife as claimed in claim 7 wherein said locking mechanism
and said carrier assembly are integrated into a single piece
movable from a first locked position to a second released
position.
10. The knife as claimed in claim 7 wherein said tang of said blade
is comprised of a concave surface about the outer circumference of
said tang to receive said locking mechanism, and wherein said
locking mechanism is substantially in the shape of a sphere.
11. The knife as claimed in claim 7 wherein said locking mechanism
is biased by said biasing member towards said first locked position
to prevent rotation of said blade when said blade of said knife is
in either a closed position or an open position.
12. The knife as claimed in claim 11 wherein said carrier assembly
is further comprised of: two wing elements about a first end of
said carrier assembly for retaining said locking mechanism and for
enveloping said tang; and a stem element about a second end
opposite of said first end of said carrier assembly, for coupling
with said at least one biasing member for biasing said carrier
assembly towards said first locked position when said blade of said
knife is in either said closed position or said open position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to cutting instruments, and
more specifically folding knives with locking mechanisms to
maintain open and closed positions associated with the folding
knife.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Cutting instruments have been used for centuries by
craftsmen, hunters, and others requiring a sharp cutting
instrument. More recently, fixed length knives have been replaced
with popular folding knives, which generally have two positions. In
a first extended position of use, the knife cutting blade is
extended to expose the blade cutting edge and permit cutting
therein. In a second closed position, the cutting edge of the blade
is stored within a cavity or recess in the handle portion of the
knife, thus preventing the blade from being exposed. The folding
mechanism further provides a cutting instrument which is much
shorter in length than a typical fixed blade knife. Although these
types of knives are extremely convenient, they can potentially
become dangerous if the cutting blade does not have a locking
mechanism to securely keep the knife blade in the first extended
position of use. Likewise, it is often convenient to have a locking
mechanism or some form of frictional retention device apparatus or
detent to prevent the knife from inadvertently opening when the
knife blade is in the second closed position. U.S. Pat. No.
6,751,868 discloses a folding knife with a substantially spherical
locking mechanism, and is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0003] In particular, providing a carrier assembly for securing a
locking mechanism which is integrated with at least one surface of
a folding knife, which allows for travel between a first locked
position and a second open position without the need for scales or
other internal housing members, is desired.
[0004] Although there are other types of carrier assemblies and
locking mechanisms used to prevent the inadvertent closure of a
folding knife blade, none of these provide a means for retaining
the locking mechanism without enclosing the locking mechanism
within the handle portion of the folding knife, such as by
enclosing the locking mechanism between a pair of scales, and
otherwise are not simplistic to use, inexpensive to manufacture or
essentially fail-proof. Thus, there is a need for a type of folding
knife locking mechanism which provide these benefits and is
simplistic to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and provides
substantial strength to prevent any inadvertent failure. Further,
the overall weight of the folding knife is reduced due to reduced
materials.
[0005] There is also a need for an improved folding knife locking
mechanism which is simplistic to assemble, uses a minimum number of
components and is extremely reliable to prevent the inadvertent
closure of the knife blade. There is an additional need for a
carrier assembly and locking mechanism which are positioned to
allow quick and easy manipulation by one or more of a user's
fingers on either side of the folding knife.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a
folding knife locking mechanism and associated carrier assembly
which are secure and easily activated when the blade is in either
an extended position of use or a closed position of storage. It is
a further object of the present invention that the folding knife
locking mechanism and carrier assembly be designed to use a minimum
number of components, thus making the locking mechanism inexpensive
to manufacture, simplistic in design, and encompassing a variety of
different embodiments of a folding knife. It is also an object of
the present invention to provide a locking mechanism that is near
frictionless when between open and closed positions to allow the
blade to either become positioned in an open or closed position
with relative ease.
[0007] Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a folding
knife is provided which comprises a locking mechanism for
preventing movement by engagement with at least one surface of the
blade portion of the folding knife, thereby securing the folding
knife in a first extended position of use. The folding knife
according to this embodiment further prevents movements from a
second closed position by engagement of the locking mechanism with
at least one of the same surface or another surface of the
blade.
[0008] In another aspect of the invention, the folding knife
comprises a locking mechanism which comprises a carrier assembly
positioned against at least one interior surface of the folding
knife blade such that it encloses a locking mechanism for
preventing the folding knife blade from pivoting away from a closed
position or from an open position when the locking mechanism is in
a first or normal position. When the folding knife blade is in a
closed position, the carrier assembly further encloses the locking
mechanism in a first position against a flat portion of the tang of
the blade, thereby preventing the blade from pivoting about a blade
pivot point and rotating the blade to an open position of use.
Similarly, when the folding knife is in an open position, the
carrier assembly encloses the locking mechanism in a second
position against a straight portion of the tang, thereby preventing
the blade from pivoting about a blade pivot point and rotating the
blade to a closed position. As a user engages the carrier assembly
and disengages the locking mechanism from the surface of the tang,
the locking mechanism is moved to a position that allows the blade
to pivot about the blade pivot point.
[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a locking
mechanism that is enclosed by a carrier assembly comprises a
spherical device such as a ball. Alternatively, it may comprise a
plate, cylinder, elliptical, rectangle or any other imaginable
shape which can be advanced by the carrier assembly to engage the
tang or other surface of the knife, and also retracted to disengage
the tang or other surface of the knife.
[0010] In one particular embodiment, the locking mechanism and
carrier assembly are positioned to engage or "ride" one or more
surfaces of the knife, for example, the tang of the blade, or an
interior surface of the handle, such as an anvil, which are
positioned in close proximity to the carrier assembly and locking
mechanism so as to prevent the locking mechanism from becoming
disengaged from the one or more surfaces of the knife. In one
embodiment, the carrier assembly and locking mechanism engage more
than one surface of the knife, and may depend on the position of
the blade as discussed in greater detail herein.
[0011] Thus, in one particular aspect or embodiment of the present
invention, a folding knife is provided which generally
comprises:
[0012] a blade having a front end, a tang, an upper edge, and a
cutting edge, the tang of the blade pivotally interconnected to a
forward end of a handle;
[0013] a locking mechanism retained by a carrier assembly
positioned proximate to the forward end of the handle for
selectively locking the blade in a open position or a closed
position, the carrier assembly moveable from a first forward locked
position to a second retracted released position along a first
surface of the handle;
[0014] wherein the locking mechanism engages a first surface of the
tang when the carrier assembly is in the first forward locked
position and the blade is in the closed position, and the locking
mechanism disengages the first surface of the tang when the carrier
assembly is in the second retracted released position, and the
locking mechanism engages a second surface of the tang when the
carrier assembly is in the first forward locked position and the
blade is in the open position; and
[0015] wherein the carrier assembly is retained against the first
surface of the tang when the carrier assembly is in the first
forward locked position and the blade is in the closed position,
and the carrier assembly is retained against the first surface of
the handle when the carrier assembly is in the second retracted
released position, and the carrier assembly is retained against the
second surface of the tang when the carrier assembly is in the
first forward locked position and the blade is in the open
position.
[0016] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
folding knife is provided, which generally comprises:
[0017] a blade having a front end, a tang, an upper edge, and a
cutting edge, the tang of the blade pivotally interconnected to a
forward end of a handle, the handle further comprising two
scales;
[0018] a locking mechanism coupled to a carrier assembly and
positioned against the first anvil for selectively locking the
blade in a open position or a closed position, the carrier assembly
moveable from a first forward locked position to a second retracted
released position;
[0019] a first anvil positioned between the two scales and
proximate to the carrier assembly;
[0020] a second anvil positioned between the two scales, opposite
the first anvil and proximate to the carrier assembly;
[0021] wherein the locking mechanism engages the tang when the
carrier assembly is in the first forward locked position and the
blade is in the closed position, and the locking mechanism
disengages the tang when the carrier assembly is in the second
retracted released position, and the locking mechanism engages the
tang when the carrier assembly is in the first forward locked
position and the blade is in the open position;
[0022] wherein the locking mechanism is retained by the carrier
assembly, the first anvil and the tang when the blade is in the
closed position; and
[0023] wherein the locking mechanism is retained by the carrier
mechanism, the first anvil and the second anvil when the blade is
in the open position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a folding knife,
according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the folding knife of FIG. 1,
shown in a closed position;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of a folding knife,
according to another embodiment of the invention, depicting a
modified blade and spine configuration for the knife of FIGS.
1-2;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a prior art folding
knife;
[0028] FIG. 5A is a detailed sectional top plan view of the carrier
assembly and locking mechanism according to the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1-2;
[0029] FIG. 5B is a top plan view of the carrier assembly according
to one embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIG. 5C is a front elevation view of the carrier assembly
according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5B;
[0031] FIG. 5D is a detailed sectional top plan view of the carrier
assembly according to yet another embodiment of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the folding knife of
FIG. 3;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a detailed sectional view of the folding knife of
FIG. 3 shown in a partially open position;
[0034] FIG. 8 is another detailed sectional view of the folding
knife of FIG. 3 in an opened position;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a detailed sectional view of the folding knife
according to one alternative embodiment; and
[0036] FIG. 10 is a detailed sectional view of the folding knife
according to yet another alternative embodiment.
[0037] The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] As described in detail below, various embodiments of the
present invention include novel folding knife designs and
configurations, comprising a locking mechanism and carrier assembly
and/or other features. Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a folding knife
1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.
The folding knife 2 comprises a blade 4 attached to a handle 30,
the blade pivotable about a blade pivot point 16 allowing the blade
4 to be positioned in a closed (FIG. 2) or open (FIG. 1) position,
and pivoted therebetween. The rear or tang portion of the blade 4
may include an arcuate surface proximate to a blade pivot point 16,
the arcuate surface terminating in an abrupt flat surface when the
blade 4 is in the open position of use, as shown in FIG. 1. When
the knife 1 is in the position as shown in FIG. 1, a locking
mechanism 50 is positioned so that the locking mechanism 50 is
biased to prevent rotation of the blade 4 about blade pivot point
16. More specifically, the locking mechanism utilizes a ball,
plate, sphere or other mechanism which engages a first or flat
surface 42 of the tang of the blade 4 (as shown in FIG. 2), thus
preventing rotation of the knife blade until the locking mechanism
50 is retracted. Once the locking mechanism 50 is retracted from
the flat surface 42 of the tang of the blade 4, the blade is free
to rotate about blade pivot point 16, until the locking mechanism
50 engages a second or straight surface 46 of the tang of the blade
4 (as shown in FIG. 1), thereby locking the blade 4 in the open
position. The orientation and movement of locking mechanism 50 is
described in greater detail below. Locking mechanism 50 may be
biased by one or more biasing members 54,55, which bias the locking
mechanism 50 in a direction to secure blade 4 in either a closed or
open position, and which may be compressed to permit locking
mechanism 50 to disengage the flat surface 42 or straight surface
46 and allow the blade 4 to rotate about blade pivot point 16 to a
open (as shown in FIG. 1) or closed position (as shown in FIG.
2).
[0039] FIG. 3 depicts a folding knife comprising a blade 4 coupled
to a handle 30 at a blade pivot point 16, which is attached to a
portion of the blade 4 generally referred to as the tang, and which
is comprised of multiple surfaces. A first or flat surface 42 of
the tang is shown here positioned against a locking mechanism 50,
which is coupled to a carrier assembly 20, and may be positioned to
allow movement of the blade 4 about blade pivot point 16 as
described herein. The tang further comprises a curvilinear portion
or surface 56 of tang which allows the locking mechanism 50 to
slide in a near frictionless arrangement thereby allowing the blade
4 to be extended to an open position of use quickly and easily. The
tang further comprises a straight surface 46 which engages the
locking mechanism 50 once the blade 4 has pivoted about blade pivot
point 16 to a final position for use, thereby securing the blade 4
in its open position.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment, a carrier assembly 20 is coupled
to a biasing member 54 which biases the carrier assembly 20 and
locking mechanism 50 against the tang portion of the blade 4. The
carrier assembly 20 is further coupled to an anvil 45, which is
positioned against an interior surface 40 of handle 30. The
positioning of the carrier assembly 20 to the biasing member 54,
the anvil 45, and the tang portion of the blade 4 allows for a
locking mechanism 50 to be secured and retained to the components
described herein, without requiring an additional exterior surface,
such as scales. Thus, FIG. 3 generally depicts the various
components required for the locking mechanism as described in
greater detail in reference to the description of FIGS. 5A-D and
6-10.
[0041] FIG. 4 generally depicts a folding knife 2 according to a
prior art embodiment in a first extended position with the knife
blade available for use. In general, the folding knife according to
this prior art embodiment comprises a blade 4 attached to a handle
30 by a tang 6. The blade 4 is generally comprised of a cutting
edge 8 opposite a spine 14. Prior art folding knife may further
comprise a carrier assembly 20 for housing a locking mechanism for
locking the blade 4 in either an extended position of use, as shown
in FIG. 4, or a closed position. Prior art folding knife thus is
selectively movable between an open and closed position by
providing a blade 4, pivotally attached to a handle 30, which may
rotate about a fixed point on the handle 30 to be positioned in
either a closed position, or an extended or open position of use,
as depicted in FIG. 4. This prior art folding knife, according to
one embodiment, may further be secured in either a closed or an
open position of use by positioning the carrier assembly 20 in a
first or second position, either preventing or allowing rotation of
the blade. However, the prior art folding knife requires additional
components and parts, such as scales, to hold the carrier assembly
20 and locking mechanism in place, unlike the knife of FIGS. 1-3
described above.
[0042] Referring again to the knife of FIGS. 1-2, the carrier
assembly 20 is movable from a first or locked position to a second
or open position in a generally longitudinal direction, thus
allowing a user to secure the blade 4 in an open or closed
position. The carrier assembly 20 is comprised of a locking
mechanism which also moves from a first or locked position to a
second or open position upon movement of the carrier assembly 20.
To allow selective rotation of the knife blade with respect to the
handle 30, the carrier assembly 20 may be comprised of a variety of
different locking mechanisms as described in greater detail in
relation to FIGS. 5A-D and 6-10 below. As the carrier assembly 20
is moved away from the blade to a second position, the locking
mechanism is also moved to a second position, thereby disengaging
the locking mechanism from the tang 6 of the blade 4, and allowing
the blade 4 to pivot about the blade pivot point 16 (as described
in greater detail in relation to FIGS. 6-10 below).
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5A-5D, the carrier assembly 20 according
to various embodiments is generally comprised of two wings 21
surrounding a locking mechanism 50 and positioned to ride along a
portion of the tang 56 of the blade of the knife during travel from
a first position to a second position. At the opposite end of the
carrier assembly 20 from the portion of the tang 56 is a stem 59,
which in a preferred embodiment is coupled to a biasing member 54,
shown in FIG. 5A as a compression spring. The wings 21 each have a
carved out section on an interior surface or "relief" for capturing
the locking mechanism 50 and holding it in place adjacent to the
portion of the tang 56. The locking mechanism 50, shown here as a
sphere, is also held in place by the anvil 45 (as shown in FIG. 6),
which prevents movement of the locking mechanism 50 except as
limited by the generally longitudinal path of travel defined by the
location of the anvil 45 and the surface 56 of the tang of the
blade 4 adjacent the carrier assembly 20. In addition to the
contours provided by wings 21 for enclosing locking mechanism 50
(shown in FIG. 5A as a sphere), the portion of the tang 56 which
contacts the locking mechanism 50 may be slightly concave 57, and
thereby provide another means for enclosing the locking mechanism
50 between the carrier assembly 20 and the concave surface 57 of
the portion of the tang 56.
[0044] In use, this configuration allows the carrier assembly 20
and locking mechanism 50 to travel in a generally longitudinal
direction along at least one interior surface 40 of the folding
knife 2, and selectively be positioned in either a first or second
position, and thereby allowing the surface of the tang 56 to
selectively be retained or to rotate about the blade pivot point
16. The locking mechanism 50 "rides" along the surface 56 of the
tang between a first and a second position, allowing a user to
secure the blade 4 in either a position of use or a stored
position. The carrier assembly 20 also engages and partially
encloses a surface of the tang 56 during the rotation of the blade
4 about blade pivot point 16, as described in greater detail below
in relation to FIGS. 6-8.
[0045] This configuration provides several advantages over prior
art knives. For example, the locking mechanism 50, here shown as a
sphere, no longer needs to be enclosed between surfaces of handle
or machined sections of a folding knife, often referred to as
scales, which are formed into the interior surface of the handle
portions of the folding knife 2. This configuration allows a
locking mechanism 50 to potentially be provided on a folding knife
having a reduced number of components, and otherwise without any
scales or other machined parts to enclose or confine movement of
the locking mechanism 50, such as a spherical object (as shown in
FIG. 5A).
[0046] FIGS. 5B-C depicts the carrier assembly 20 in a slightly
modified configuration. FIG. 5B shows the carrier assembly 20,
which is comprised of two wings 21 and a stem 59, and may further
comprise a biasing member. The wings 21 are formed to permit a
generally spherical object, such as a ball, to be inserted and
retained within the carrier assembly 20, but exposed on a top and
bottom plane of the carrier assembly 20 for contacting the tang of
the blade 4 as described above. The outer surfaces of each of the
wings 21 may comprise a textured or grooved surface (as shown in
FIG. 5B) for accommodating contact by a finger of a user. FIG. 5C
shows the carrier assembly 20 of FIG. 5B in a front elevation view.
As seen from this perspective, the wings 21 of the carrier assembly
20 are spaced somewhat closer than the diameter of the recess for
retaining the locking mechanism (not shown), and therefore serve to
retain the locking mechanism about the horizontal axis (of FIG.
5C).
[0047] FIG. 5D shows a top plan view of a carrier assembly
according to one alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, wings
21 of carrier assembly 20 are not connected by a stem, and further
do not comprise a biasing member. This embodiment still allows a
locking mechanism 50 to be retained by the carrier assembly 20 by
two wings 21, which also serve to retain the locking mechanism 50
against the tang 56 and a retaining surface 47 of the handle 30 (as
described in greater detail below in connection with FIGS.
6-10).
[0048] Although previous drawing figures have shown a folding knife
2 which comprises a handle 30, it is contemplated that a folding
knife 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will
include a blade 4 that may be coupled to a significantly modified
handle, different from the handle depicted in FIG. 4 of a prior art
folding knife, including but not limited to a handle comprised of
only a first surface 36, but that still has the ability to secure
the blade 4 in a closed position or an open position as described
above (i.e., provides a blade attachment or pivot point and ability
to recess the blade). The essential characteristics of the folding
knife 2 according to this embodiment include the carrier assembly
20, the locking mechanism 50, and the ability to pivot the blade 4
about a fixed point and secure the blade 4 in multiple positions.
By providing a locking mechanism 50, and associated carrier
assembly 20 described herein, a knife may be constructed with these
locking and unlocking features and at the same time greatly reduce
the necessary parts and components previously required of folding
knives.
[0049] Although the locking mechanism 50 described in relation to
FIGS. 5A-D is a sphere, other embodiments are disclosed herein,
which provide a similar carrier assemblies, but using different
shaped locking mechanisms to secure the blade in a closed or open
position. By way of example but not by limitation, the locking
mechanism may be comprised of various shapes or elements, such as a
ball, a block, a cylinder, a cube, a pin, or a peg. The positioning
of the carrier assembly 20, the anvil 45, the locking mechanism 50,
and the portion of the tang 56 as described herein provide the
framework to prevent the locking mechanism 50 and carrier assembly
20 from becoming disengaged or removed from the knife housing.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 6, a detailed partial sectional view
of the folding knife 2 of FIG. 1 (in a closed position) is shown.
Carrier assembly 20 comprises a locking mechanism 50 which is
positioned against the anvil 45, which is coupled to an interior
surface 40 of the handle 30 of the folding knife 2 such that it
encloses locking mechanism 50 and is secured within the folding
knife 2 and adjacent the interior surface 40 of folding knife 2.
When the folding knife 2 is in a closed position the carrier
assembly 20 retains locking mechanism 50 in a locked position
against a flat portion 42 of the tang, thereby preventing the blade
4 from pivoting about blade pivot point 16 and extending to an open
position of use. This contact is caused in part by biasing member
54. As a user engages the carrier assembly 20, and moves the
carrier assembly 20 to a second position (in the opposite direction
of the force provided by biasing member 54), the locking mechanism
50 is disengaged from the flat surface 42 of the tang, thereby
allowing the blade 4 to pivot about blade pivot point 16. This is
also caused in part by the detent, and the force required upon the
carrier assembly 20 to move from a first position to a second
position to allow the blade 4 to rotate. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6,
the carrier assembly 20 is shown in a first or secured position,
but may be moved in a way to compress the biasing member 54 and
disengage the tang of the blade 4, thereby allowing the folding
knife 2 to be extended for use. Anvil 45 further comprises a stop
pin 34 for preventing rotation of the blade 4 beyond the desired
range of motion (namely from an open extended position of use to a
closed position).
[0051] Referring now to FIG. 7, another detail partial sectional
view of the folding knife 2 is shown. Here the blade 4 is in a
partially extended position such that the tang still engages the
locking mechanism 50 of the carrier assembly 20, yet engages the
locking mechanism 50 along a surface 56 of the tang so that it may
slide smoothly in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction when
viewed as shown in FIG. 7, to either an open or extended position
of use, or a closed or stored position. Also shown in FIG. 7, the
interior surface 40 of handle 30 further comprises a retaining
surface 47 for retaining the locking mechanism 50 against the anvil
45, and further permitting the locking mechanism 50 to prevent
rotation of the blade 4 when the blade 4 is in the closed position
(as shown in FIG. 6). This retaining surface 47 is sometimes
referred to as a "back spacer." The close proximity and
configuration of flat surface 42 of the tang of the blade 4 and the
retaining surface 47 of the handle 30 allow the locking mechanism
50 to become wedged between the two surfaces when the locking
mechanism 50 is biased towards the normal position (as shown in
FIG. 6), thereby preventing rotation of the blade 4 prior to
disengaging the locking mechanism 50 from the flat surface 42 of
the tang of the blade 4.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 8, a detail partial sectional view of
the folding knife 2 in an open position is shown. Here, the blade 4
is shown in a completely extended position, and biasing member 54
has forced the locking mechanism 50 to travel past the surface 56
of the tang of the blade 4, and abut a straight surface 46 of the
tang. In this position, the locking mechanism 50 of the carrier
assembly 20 prevents the folding knife 2 from pivoting about blade
pivot point 16 so that the blade 4 is fixed in an extended position
of use. A user may engage the carrier assembly 20 and direct the
carrier assembly 20 in a direction against the biasing force of
biasing member 54, thereby disengaging the locking mechanism 50
from the straight surface 46 of the tang, and allow the blade 4 to
pivot about lock pivot point 16, and thereby be pivoted back to a
closed position as shown in FIG. 6.
[0053] Referring now to FIG. 9, a carrier assembly 20 in an
alternative embodiment is shown with the folding knife 2 in an open
position. As shown in FIG. 9, for convenience, the carrier assembly
20 and wings 21 have been removed to show a generally rectangular
locking mechanism 58, thereby replacing the spherical member or
locking mechanism 50 as described in relation to FIGS. 5A-D.
Similar to the operation of the locking mechanism 50 of the carrier
assembly 20 as described in the preceding paragraphs, this
generally rectangular locking mechanism 58 may move from a second
closed position to a first or open position by directing the
carrier assembly 20 against the biasing force of the biasing member
54, and disengaging the rectangular locking mechanism 58 from the
straight surface 46 of the tang. The generally rectangular shape
also allows a smooth contact between the surface 56 of the tang,
thereby allowing the blade 4 to freely move from either an open or
extended position of use to a closed or secured position.
[0054] Referring now in detail to FIG. 10, yet another alternative
embodiment for the carrier assembly locking mechanism is shown. In
this embodiment, the spherical locking mechanism 50 is coupled to
the biasing member 54 in a slightly modified way, to allow a more
free or frictionless motion as folding knife 2 is moved from an
open position of use to a closed or secured position. In this
embodiment, locking mechanism 50 is held in place by a retaining
arm 62 that is coupled to biasing member 54. In one particular
embodiment, the retaining arm 62 extends only on one side of the
retention device. In yet another alternative embodiment, a pair of
retaining arms 62 may be positioned, diametrically opposed to each
other, to envelop locking mechanism 50 and thereby secure a
connection between locking mechanism 50 and biasing member 54.
[0055] In these embodiments, the locking mechanisms 50, 58 are
modified to either eliminate or become integrated with the carrier
assembly previously described. Thus, according to the embodiments
of FIGS. 9 and 10, the locking mechanisms 50, 58 are secured or
retained in part by the allowed path of travel of the locking
mechanisms 50, 58, defined by the anvil 45 and the flat portion 46
of the tang, and also in part by the constant force provided by the
biasing member 54. The biasing member 54 is in constant tension,
thereby causing the locking mechanisms 50, 58 to be limited in
movement along a generally longitudinal direction against the
interior surface 40 of the knife. Therefore, in these alternative
embodiments (FIGS. 9, 10), the folding knife comprises means for
engaging the locking mechanisms 50, 58 with the tang 6 of the blade
4 without the carrier assembly 20 and wings 21 engaging the
tang.
[0056] Although the locking mechanisms 50, 58 of FIGS. 9 and 10 are
shown without a carrier assembly 20 as described in relation to
FIGS. 1-3 above, it is contemplated that folding knives according
to these embodiments (FIGS. 9, 10) may be further comprised of
modified carrier assemblies in addition to the modified locking
mechanisms 50, 58. Alternatively, the locking mechanisms 50, 58 of
FIGS. 9 and 10 may be provided without a carrier assembly, and
engaged by a user directly.
[0057] To provide further clarity to the detailed description
provided herein in the associated drawings, the following list of
components and associated numbering are provided as follows:
TABLE-US-00001 Component No. Component 02 Folding Knife 04 Blade 08
Cutting Edge (of Blade) 14 Spine (of Blade) 16 Blade Pivot Point 20
Carrier Assembly 21 Wing(s) (of Carrier Assembly) 26 Clip 28 Finger
Aperture 30 Handle 34 Stop Pin 40 Interior Surface (of Handle) 42
Flat Surface (of Tang) 45 Anvil (of Handle) 46 Straight Surface (of
Tang) 47 Retaining Surface (of Handle) 48 Contour (of Handle) 50
Locking Mechanism 54, 55 Biasing Member(s) 56 Surface (of Tang) 57
Concave Surface (of Tang) 58 Rectangular Locking Mechanism 59 Stem
(of Carrier Assembly) 62 Retaining Arm
[0058] The foregoing description of the present invention has been
presented for illustration and description purposes. However, the
description is not intended to limit the invention to only the
forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for
example, various features of the invention are grouped together in
one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the
disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as
reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more
features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the
following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all
features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the
following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed
Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate
preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0059] As used herein, "at least one," "one or more," and "and/or"
are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and
disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at
least one of A, B and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or
more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C" and "A, B, and/or
C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C
together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
[0060] Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with
the above teachings and skill and knowledge of the relevant art are
within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments
described herein above are further intended to explain best modes
of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art
to utilize the invention in such a manner, or include other
embodiments with various modifications as required by the
particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention. Thus,
it is intended that the claims be construed to include alternative
embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
* * * * *